Chris Brown's 'Graffiti' Album Cover: Five Awesomely Ridiculous Things About It

Chris Brown is slowly making his musical comeback following his assault on Rihanna and subsequent guilty plea, and he's made a big step by unveiling the cover art to his upcoming album, 'Graffiti.' Generally, we let album covers speak for themselves, but this one is just so awesomely bad (and similar to Adam Lambert's masterpiece) that we had to dive deeper and break it down. After the Jump, Our Analysis!

1. The Guitar: Unless we missed something, Chris Brown has never played the guitar in a song or on stage, so unless he's taken up a new hobby while laying low post-assault, what's with the axe here? Will the new Chris Brown shred the fretboard a la Lil Wayne? One can only hope.

2. The Bionic Hand: We'll excuse the token literal "graffiti" spraypaint can, but why the bionic hand? Brown's time travel into the future seems to have caused him to lose his painting hand at some point, which begs even more: How will he play the guitar with one hand?! Seriously, people.

3. The 'Graffiti' Font: This is where things start to look a whole lot like Adam Lambert's recent album cover, which also caused many music fans to scratch their heads and think: "Joke? Right? Really? Wow." The glam-and-outer-space similarities are uncanny, but Lambert's was intentionally cheesy, so Adam 1, Chris 0. Also, if things are going to be as cut-and-dry as "Hey, the album is called 'Graffiti' so I'm going to have a spraypaint can," why isn't the title -- which is the direct result of the spraypaint -- done in graffiti style? Keep it real, Mr. Brown.

4. The Boots and Pants: Ladies and gentleman, Chris Brown is now part Ziggy Stardust, part goth. That seamline is far too tight for Brown's signature dancing brilliance, so maybe he'll be a bit more stationary ... and that would explain the guitar. Actually, it wouldn't. Nevermind on that.

5. The Cartoon Animals: We'll openly admit that there's likely a Brown-influenced reason these are there, and we simply don't know about it because we're not cool enough. However, with that said ... um, can someone explain?

I actually like the cover. I think that it is original and a far cry from what people think that black men SHOULD wear. If it was a person of another race, would the clothes or guitar be an issue? Your personal issue with C. Brown is stinking up aol. Cut it out. The song 'I Can Transform Ya' is nice & you don't like the fact that people forgave him. but if it was you you would want forgiveness. Have you ever wanted forgiveness? Cut him some slack! And, did I say that those skinny pants look HOOTTT!

The cover is stupid. And while I don't condone or agree with assault, he is not the first in the industry to break any law! If you like his music, don't boycott his CD ... Hell, even Michael Vick was welcomed back to the NFL!

You know what people the media will make u hate anyone when u have a small brain. What is wrong with Chris doing what he wants to do....I don't give a HELL what he did to that girl. If u can let all these athletes run around breaking all type of laws and still watch and attend there ganes and you can let Bebe Winans beat the stank out of his wife and still buy his albums then let this 20 yrs old kid learn his lesson and move on with his life...Just another BLACK brother brought down by the media this is really such bull crap no matter how u look it.

If people are prepared to boycott Chris Brown's music because of his assault on Rhianna, they also need to be prepared to look like hypocrites. I am sorry, but we buy music from people who pee on minors, are serious drug addicts, alcoholics and drunk drivers, mentally unstable, and even praise a man almost as a hero who is an alleged boy rapist! Really, if people are going to boycott Chris Brown (and destroy his career) for hitting Rhianna, they need to boycott the music industry in general. No one is perfect, and Chris Brown made a huge mistake, admitted to it, paid for it through his community service (which really is not even close to enough of a punishment, but thats another story) and was forgiven by Rhianna and by the court system. People need to get over it or stop listening to music.

Sharon, I have a higher respect for Chris Brown because he came out and confessed, and he is doing community service and getting his act together while all these other musicians hide behind their careers and deny ever doing anything wrong, so yea YOU may feel liike his punishment wasnt harsh enough but atleast he, even at such a young age, knew what he had to do to make things right. On another note why boycott Rihanna as well? She was slapping him around long before he turned around and finally fought back... Dont give me that "Men ahouldnt hit women" bullshyt because women shouldnt hit men either. No one should hit anyone regardless of whats in between their legs.

This is so childish, you are just criticizing him because of what happened 9 months ago, it's time to grow up and move on. His new single is already a top 20 hit on Billboard. So seriously get over it, again this is very childish.

It takes a big man to apologize, but it takes an even bigger man to forgive.

H.L. Mencken said it best, "no one has ever gone broke underestimating the taste of the American public." Chris Brown is a "manufactured talent" except for his voice (within his range) and his dancing (much of which is choreographed for him), so for all of you expecting a minimalist approach to marketing him get that surprised look off your face. If he was a "talented musician" with a "body of work" that included unforgettable melodies, (played by him) and thought provoking lyrics (penned by him) then we could expect a CD cover of a "real picture" of him, showing him associated with a "real instrument" and having a "real hand." Chris Brown is a talented "performer", no more, no less. He is He is being "packaged", "handled", "bundled," "merchandised" and "morphed" to recoup the investment put in jeopardy by his violent behavior towards Rihana. Where is "A&R development" when we need it?If in fact, if Chris is a new person after the experience with Rihana and the court system, then a new CD cover would be the perfect opportunity to show this with a real close up of a healthy, fit, clear eyed, calm, sharp looking young man, doing something "loving." In stead we get a side profile of a larger than life menacing freak, dressed in black, with a biogenetic hand, spraying a "killing vapor," on his audience of "creatures" holding an instrument he can't master, sending a message to an audience yet to be defined. Go figure!